The mission of the
Hamilton Society is to advocate for academic engagement of the military as
a civic institution, promote national service among Columbia University
students, and to foster the professional development of cadets and
candidates.

TestimonialsThe following
testimonials are an effort to communicate the experiences of fellowColumbians who made the decision to proudly serve their country. They
demonstrate that the opportunities and challenges found in military
service reflect and build upon the values of the academic community.

Erik Swabb,
1LT, INF, USMC

Columbia
College 2002

The Marine Corps provided incredible
leadership experience, immense responsibility, once-in-a-life
opportunities, and exposure to different types of people. As a young
officer, the entire time in the military consists of leadership training,
but one probably receives close to a year of formal schooling. A new
lieutenant is constantly learning new ways of motivating and challenging
people. As for responsibility, I would challenge anyone to name an
occupation where a 22-year old could be in charge of up to 40 lives,
millions of dollars of equipment, and preparing people for an incredibly
stressful job. It is no coincidence that so many top executives served in
the military. I served as an infantry officer, which as the most
physically challenging specialty in the military means that no student
should worry about not being an athlete as long as he or she is motivated
enough to train. In Iraq, I had the experience of a lifetime: being a part
of history (the battle of Fallujah in Nov ’04) and making history (the
first elections in Iraq in Jan ’05). I think of my military service as
both a foundation for the rest of my life and a defining accomplishment.

Emily Shin,
2LT, MS, USA

Columbia
College 2004

I spent the summer of 2003 at Fort Leonard
Wood, Missouri, at Army Basic Combat Training because I am a flutist in
the NY National Guard Band. I expected it to be a survival exercise, but
it turned out to be an opportunity to learn how to work with, get along
with, love, and lead many different kinds of people. I had moments of
panic and moments where I wondered why I had gotten myself into such a
predicament, but as the nine weeks progressed, I realized that the lessons
in respect, conformity, and humility were actually lessons about
perseverance, teamwork, gratitude, and service. The experience showed me
that I could get through the intensity of medical training and the demands
of the practice.

The army
definition of selfless service is “To put the welfare of the Nation, the
Army, and your subordinates before your own.” In the same way, being a
physician is about service, about putting the patient’s needs in high
esteem, and I am thankful I joined the armed forces if only to experience
this lesson.

Sean L.
Wilkes, 2LT, MS, USA

Columbia
College 2006

My participation in the Reserve Officer
Training Corps granted me the opportunity to do something that is more
than just an occupation, something that I, as many warriors have before
me, look upon as an honor and a privilege: the chance to lead our nation's
servicemen and women as a military officer. This is your military. Recall
that our constitution and the political and moral philosophy upon which it
is grounded was forged and remunerated by Columbians. That among the great
officers who fought for these rights and civil liberties we today enjoy
were the likes of John Jay, Governor Morris, and a certain Army Colonel by
the name of Hamilton.

I entreat you to take up the torch of
leadership and bring to our armed forces the values, knowledge, and
understanding that Columbia has imparted to you. Remember well the words
of Lt. Gen. Sir William E. Butler, "The nation that will insist upon
drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the
thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking
by cowards."

B. J. Lowe,
RADM, USNR RET

Columbia
College 1951

The
camaraderie, the long term friendships based on shared hardships, the
knowledge that a network for professional or emergency reasons was, and
is, always there and can only be achieved in the service of one’s country.

Now in
this new millennium, we are facing new threats to family and nation. The
challenges and the opportunities are immense. Columbians should be there
to incorporate the highest principles and standards into the Government
and the military service. We should strive to make every effort to ensure
the understanding that must exist between the military and the society
that they serve and protect.

I wish
that I could embrace those opportunities --and rewards-- again!